Thursday, 30 August 2012

A fun ride with Pendleton

I had the chance to try out one of the bikes in the Pendleton range. Yes, you heard correctly - Pendleton. The newly-retired World and Olympic track cycling champion launched a range of bicycles earlier this year.

They are nothing like the superfast speed machines that she would have ridden in the velodrome during her illustrious career. They are not even racing bikes. You certainly don't need to be a serious cyclist to ride one. All you need is to be a woman or a girl who would like to ride a bicycle.

The cycles are designed for women who would like to get into two-wheeled action. It could be for going to the shops, or something for a leisure bike ride.
I always find it refreshing to ride these types of bikes - just something to enjoy cycling on at a relaxing pace while looking and feeling good.
I admire the fact that Victoria Pendleton has put her name to this type of range, given that a cyclist of her calibre could easily have gone down the racing route.

I tried out the Pendleton Brooke. As an entry level hybrid it rides very smoothly with gears and brakes being of a decent quality.

As I get older, the need for comfort becomes more important to me. So I particularly liked the ergonomic handlebars and the comfort saddle. Also, they say if you can't ride fast you should at least look good. This bike certainly helps out on that front too! The deep plum colour gives the bike a distinct stlye.

The Brooke is the middle sister of the three bikes in the range. The Dalby, with 700c performance wheels and a narrower range of gears is designed for those who want to do longer, faster rides. The Somerby has a Pashley look about it and there is space for a basket on the front.

Just like Goldilocks found the middle sized chair just right, I found the Brooke to be just right for me. It's not too girly for me, as I might find the Somerby to be, but it is still lady-like enough. With 24-speed gears and wider tyres on 26" wheels this allows me to go off-road or uphill, without needing to get the more sporty Dalby. The Brooke gets my vote.

I rode the bike around the parks and residential streets of south London, and took the bike up to Yorkshire where I rode it on trails near York. It was good fun, and the bike performed well - including when the route took me unexpectedly across a random BMX park in the middle of the woods.

The three bikes are different enought to appeal to different women, and I have met some who prefer the Somerby and others who favour the Dalby. Ultimately, any woman starting a new adventure on two wheels can't go wrong with any of the bikes in the Pendleton range. Girls just wanna have fun - and they will be able to do that on all these bikes!    
 
Photos by Higg

1 comment:

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